


the vanished me is living

by Rethira



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 23:16:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1706138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rethira/pseuds/Rethira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Genis chooses Mithos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the vanished me is living

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jonphaedrus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonphaedrus/gifts).



> noah i am 100% blaming you for this

Mithos’ eyes rake across them, before pausing on Genis. After a moment, he holds out his hand and says, “Come with me.”

There’s a long silence, and then Genis does.

 

Mithos' fingers are twined tightly with Genis'. He leads him down a corridor, laughing happily - "You'll love this room, Genis," he says, pushing open a door.

Inside are hundreds of plants; grasses and trees, flowers and vines and everything in between. Overhead, instead of the purple Genis has become used to, it looks like normal sky.

"Wh-what is this place?" Genis asks.

"My garden." Mithos walks forward a few steps and spins around before flopping backwards onto the soft grass. He laughs again. "Some of these plants haven't existed in either world for thousands of years."

Genis settles awkwardly beside him. "It's really pretty, Mithos," he says.

"Uh-huh! That's why I showed you it."

When Mithos smiles, Genis can forget why he's here. He can forget who he's betrayed.

 

It’s not always like that. Sometimes, Genis will find Yggdrasill instead. He knows it’s still Mithos. He knows that – Mithos wears the jewel on a chain around his neck, and Yggdrasill does too – but. Yggdrasill scares him.

Pronyma’s there too; she spots Genis and doesn’t smile, but the look she gives him is still nasty. He hides behind a pillar until he hears her say, “Of course, Lord Yggdrasill,” and then he only pokes his head out and waits. She leaves after a moment or two, sweeping out of the room like she’s- like she’s someone important.

On the throne, Yggdrasill sighs. “Genis, you know you don’t have to hide from her,” he says.

“I know that,” Genis protests. “I just don’t like her. She’s... creepy.”

Yggdrasill laughs. Halfway through it turns into Mithos laughing, and Genis relaxes a little.

“Well,” Mithos says, “she’s necessary for now.”

 

They go for a picnic on Tethe’alla. It seems strange. Before, they were always rushing everyone. Mithos never rushes anything. He’s patient and kind, and whenever they go anywhere he holds Genis’ hand. And he likes learning and talking about magic. He’s nothing like... nothing like they thought.

“I came here before,” Mithos says, staring into the distance. “With my sister.”

“What was she like?” Genis asks, half expecting Mithos to turn on him.

Mithos doesn’t. He says, very softly, “She was my sister,” and that’s all he really needs to say.

Genis doesn’t let go of his hand until he falls asleep.

 

They go down to Sylvarant next – Yggdrasill explains that sometimes he likes to watch the people dance. Likes to watch his plans play out. “It’s not very hard,” he says. “They all want a leader, really. It took a while to get going, but they all fell into line eventually.”

“How long did it take?” Genis asks. Down below, people toil in the farmland.

“A few centuries,” Yggdrasill says, offhandedly. “The Church mostly ran by itself eventually.”

There’s nothing much Genis can say to that.

“Of course,” Yggdrasill muses, “the current Pope is... not satisfactory.”

Genis shakes his head. “He has a daughter. Kate.”

“Yes,” Yggdrasill agrees. “I have hopes for her.”

Genis doesn’t ask what those hopes are.

 

He dreams about Raine. He wakes up crying.

“I’m sorry,” Mithos says later. “I’m sorry I asked you to do this. I know how hard it is. She’s your _sister_. But trust me, Genis. Nothing bad will _ever_ happen to her.”

And Genis doesn’t doubt it for a second.

 

Genis doesn’t see Kratos around. In fact, the only people he sees are angels, Pronyma and Mithos, and the angels rival Pronyma in creepiness.

Mithos is busy sometimes, but he’s usually happy to make time for Genis. Today isn’t one of those days. Genis can’t find him anywhere, and he searches all over Derris-Kharlan.

Pronyma sneers when she sees him. “Go back to your room, child,” she commands.

“No,” Genis replies, puffing himself up. “I want to see Mithos.”

Her face goes red when she hears him say that name, and she raises her hand like she’s going to hit him, but Genis isn’t afraid. Not this time. He’s not afraid.

Except the blow never comes.

Yggdrasill stands before him, incandescent with rage, hand tight around Pronyma’s wrist. “You _dare_ ,” he hisses, “you _dare_ to strike Genis?”

Pronyma recoils. “Lord Yggdrasill, I meant no-”

“Get out of my _sight_ ,” Yggdrasill snaps.

“Y-yes, my Lord.” She all but runs, pale and shaking.

Yggdrasill turns, his form melting into the more familiar shape of Mithos. “Are you okay, Genis?”

“I’m fine,” Genis replies. “N-now that you’re here.”

Mithos smiles and his voice drops into a whisper. “I want you to come and meet Martel.”

 

She’s the Great Seed. Or she was.

Martel is Colette now.

 

“Genis!” Lloyd exclaims. “He’s got Colette-”

“Be silent,” Yggdrasill commands. “Martel is awakening.”

 

“No!” Genis screams; he doesn’t even think before running in front of Yggdrasill. Mithos. “Don’t- don’t you hurt him, Lloyd.”

Lloyd’s expression is hard. “Get out of the way, Genis.”

“I won’t. I won’t, not even for you, Lloyd.”

“Genis,” Raine starts.

He shakes his head. “No! No, I won’t let you. I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!” He looks up, eyes blazing, and finds himself speaking the words before he even thinks about it. “ _Meteor Storm!_ ”

 

They escape on Rheairds and Mithos won’t stop laughing.

“You were amazing,” he says. “You were more than I ever could have expected.”

The words are lovely, but they rest heavily in Genis’ heart.

He wonders if he’ll ever forget the look in Lloyd’s eyes.

 

The sky turns purple above them. Mithos sighs. “I wonder if it will leave.”

“Derris-Kharlan?”

“The elves brought it here,” Mithos explains, “and then they abandoned it. It only stayed here because of the Tower.”

“Oh. Maybe we should try and fix it. Martel’s still-”

Mithos goes still. “Genis. Do you trust me?”

Genis stares at the ground. “Of course. What sort of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

Mithos smiles.

 

He leaves for a while. When he comes back, he’s holding a Cruxis Crystal and a key crest. Genis doesn’t ask where he got them.

“These are for you,” Mithos says. “My fifth Seraphim.”

 

They go to a room full of mirrors. Mithos stands Genis in front of it, and he carefully sets the key crest in the hollow of Genis’ neck. He pauses and his eyes flick to Marble’s exsphere.

“You’ll have to remove that,” he murmurs. “But that’s alright, isn’t it, Genis?”

Genis swallows. And then, very gently, he takes Marble’s exsphere off. “I’m sorry, Marble.”

Behind him, Mithos smiles, and sets the Cruxis Crystal into its key crest.

**Author's Note:**

> (the vanished me is petrified)
> 
> edit: now with [fanart!](http://kratosaurioned.tumblr.com/post/90185563500/vocalloyd-irving-after-reading-kratosaurioneds)
> 
> son of edit: and even MORE [fanart!](http://kratosaurioned.tumblr.com/post/90270200805/rowenjilbert-im-still-not-entirely-sure-what-im)


End file.
